Found You at Last
by UndoubtedlyTheWine
Summary: Falling in love? It's damn easy. But real life love is not like a fairy tale romance. Not all love stories become successful. Daya & Shreya. They love each other but as they say path towards love is always under construction. Will it be a 'Happily Ever After' for them? Or is there something more sinister lying in wait?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own lyrics of the song "Illahi"  
**

**Chapter 1  
**

'Vroooooom!'

Two Cars which were stationed side by side roared to life. The car on the side was a red Lexus. Inside the Lexus sat a burly muscular man in his mid-forties. He had a handsome face and a rather sexy aura around him.

The car on the right was a Dodge which was old but of sturdy make. The person driving the Dodge was a mean looking man with a slightly dusky complexion.

The cars were vibrating with excitement waiting to show off their power and speed. The smell of the exhaust filled the air. There were no spectators. A dangerous narrow road lay ahead of them. Below was a vast expanse of the ocean. Somewhere nearby, a shrill whistle blew and both cars thundered ahead.

Daya's heart thudded with excitement as his Lexus shot ahead at full speed. Racing was his passion. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. To an outsider, it looked just like a blur of movement. The cars ran at speed of a whopping 180 miles per hour. A slightly wider swerve would take the car right at the bottom of the ocean. Forward they drove, neither giving any chance to another to move ahead. It was really a tough competition.

Soon the road ended and they slowed down as they entered the main street. They stopped in a dark alley at the side of the street. It was dark and empty.

As soon as Daya got down, two men pointed sniper rifles on his chest. But Daya's face was calm. He didn't even battle an eyelid. He stood fearlessly staring at the other man who was getting out of his car.

The other man stood in front of him smiling.

'Welcome to my home - Brazil!' he said in a high pitched tone.

'Dekh ye natak band kar. Kaha hai hamare officers?' said Daya.

'Daya, Daya tumhara ye fearless attitude mujhe sabse jyada pasand hai. Tum do officers ko dhoondne yaha tak aaye ho? I am impressed. Bohot jyada dedicated ho tum log.', he said laughing.

'Tu aise nahi manega', said Daya and pulled out his gun.

At that exact moment someone fired at Daya's foot. When Daya looked down, he saw that the bullet shot had burnt a small hole in his shoe.

'Daya ye mera ghar hai. Kuch bhi karne se pehle soch liya karo. Tum logon ko ye sab itna aasaan lagta hai kya? Maine bohot mehnat ki hai is sab ke liye. Time waste kar rahe ho tum log. Mere raaste se hat jao warna zinda nahi bachoge. Soch bhi kaise liye tumne ki main tumhare officers ko sahi salamat wapis karunga? Chale jao wapas ghar. Bhool jao tumhare officers ko.' he said.

'Tumhari bakwass band karo. Main yaha timepass karne nahi aaya hoon. Main wada karta hoon tumse main unhe yaha se le jaunga wapis. Aur abhi main jaa raha hoon par tujhe chodunga nahi main', said Daya.

The other man gave him a wicked smile as Daya left.

Daya was satisfied woth the day's work. So now he knew the person who had held the officers captive.. He knew he would have to be careful and rescuing them wouldn't be an easy task. But hw was satisfied that atleast something positive had happened since his arrival.

***** FLASHBACK *****

A flight landed exactly at 11.30 am at Galeão International Airport, Rio de Janerio.

A tall and rugged man walked briskly towards the exit with a hand bag. A sense of exhilaration ran through him. He was stepping for the first time on foreign lands. He had many plans in his mind. But before anything else, he had a crucial job to do. He was on a mission to rescue two CID officers kidnapped from India and held captive in Brazil.

Warm air greeted his face as he walked outside the airport. The weather became a few more degrees hotter as he stepped onto the street. Few female heads turned in his direction but they were unable to make out whether he had noticed anyone of them because of his dark sun glasses. He enjoyed watching the Brazilian beauties and chuckled to himself. He was proud of his good looks. As he was wondering how he would reach his hotel, a local cab screeched to a halt right at his feet.

A female cab driver had stepped down.

'Onde estão indo gostosa?' she asked with pouted lips.

(Where are you heading to hottie?)

Daya observed her. She had makeup pasted all over her face. She was wearing high heels and skimpy clothes which revealed her voluptuous figure. Daya doubted whether she was really a cab driver. She looked more like a prostitute.

Before he could reply, 'BEEP! BEEP!', his PDA chummed.

He took it out and turned his back onto the cab driver who was looking expectantly him.

'Hello Officer. Welcome to Brazil. Hope you had a good flight. I am Lara and I will be assisting you in your mission during your entire stay in Brazil' spoke a pretty girl probably in her thirties.

'Hello. Yeah I had a great journey. Thanks', said Daya.

'Well to begin with I have emailed you address of the hotel where you would be staying along with the reservation details. Your cab will arrive any moment and it will drop you at the hotel. You are asked to inform at your headquarters in India where you are currently employed about your safe arrival in Brazil. Is there anything else I can help you with?' she enquired.

'No, thank you. I do not require anything else at the moment.' he said.

'All right then. If you need anything just press the red button on your PDA and I'll be there', she said.

'Got that. Bye', he said.

'Hey, I would like to give you a useful tip - Avoid female cab drivers'; she said smiling and the screen went blank.

Daya whirled around but the cab was nowhere to be seen. He smiled lightly and stood waiting for his Cab.

***** FLASHBACK OVER *****

The sun was beginning to set. Daya looked towards the statue of 'Christ - The redeemer' who looked down all over the city, his arms stretched wide.

Sun rays fell on his face, glowing bright orange.

His cell phone began to ring and a smile spread on his face seeing the caller's name.

'Abhijeet! Poore ek hafte baad yaad aayi na meri?' said Daya.

'Aisi baat nahi hai yaar Daya. Lekin ACP sir kuch jyada hi kaam pe laga diya', said Abhijeet.

'Accha accha thik hai. Kaise ho tum sab log?' asked Daya.

'Hum to bohot acche hai. Tu bata waha ke kya haal chal? Naya desh kaisa laga?' asked Abhijeet.

'Bohot accha hai. Aaj Uss Rajiv se mulakat hui. Yaha aake kuch jyada hi udd raha hai. Angreji me baat kar raha tha merese. Aur aas paas ke gundon ke leke aaya tha mujhe dhamkane.' said Daya.

'Oh. Un dono ka kuch pata chala?' asked Abhijeet.

'Abhi tak to nahi. Lekin jald hi pata chal jayega.' said Daya.

'Ok. Daya khayal rakhna apne aap ka. Aur inform karte rehna hame. Ek baat tumse puchna bhul gaya. Lara se mulakat Hui na tumhari?' asked Abhijeet.

'Haan. Hui na. Koun angrej bhej di hai yaar? Main kitna flirt karta hoon uske saath lekin aaj tak ek acchi smile bhi nahi di hai usne', said Daya.

Abhijeet laughed.

'Miss kar raha hoon tumhe Daya. Jaldi wapas aa jao. Aur wo nahi toh kya hua koi waha ki pata lo aur leke aao saath', he said.

'Haan haan jaroor! Chal rakhta hoon. Baad me baat karenge', said Daya.

'Accha thik hai. Bye!' said Abhijeet and hung up.

Daya was in no mood to go back to his hotel so early. He put the ear phones and decided to take a stroll down the street.

**_Shaamein malang si_**

**_Raatein surang si_**

**_Bhaagi udaan pe hi naa jaane kyun_**

**_Ilahi mera jee aaye aaye_**

**_Ilahi mera jee aaye aaye_**

True to what he had heard, Brazil was a magical, vibrant and passionate.

Tourists swarmed the streets crowding the flea markets. Skyscrapers and colonial mansions were spread all over the city of Rio de Janerio. The mountains, the beaches, were really breath-taking.

Daya wished he was not on a mission. He would have liked to come here with that 'someone special' which unfortunately he hadn't found yet.

He was in love with this city.

**Kal pe sawal hai**

**Jeena filhal hai**

**khaanaabadoshiyon pe na jaane kyu**

**Ilahi mera jee aaye aaye**

**Ilahi mera jee aaye aaye**

It was almost night when he walked back to his hotel room. He had no idea how he would find them. But he would have to act fast. He pulled out his PDA. He knew about Officer Anisha but he hadn't got time to see the other female officer who had been kidnapped.

He pressed the red button on the PDA and the usual pleasing voice of Lara greeted him.

'Hi! I am aware of all the facts about Officer Anisha. But I would like to know about the other officer who is with her. I am totally clueless. Hell! I don't even know her name!' said Daya.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Daya sat on his bed waiting for Lara to provide him the other officer's photo and info.

'Just a moment handsome', said Lara giving him a small smile. She worked for sometime and a database file opened on his desktop.

He clicked open the file.

**Name: Shreya Malhotra**

**Age: 31 years**

**Place of Residence: Mumbai**

**Occupation: CID Inspector, Mumbai Office**.

On and on it went. The list was endless.

He clicked on the photograph to enlarge it.

The image was taking lot of time to load. Daya was getting impatient.

'Uh oh... I am sorry Officer. There seems to be some internal problem. You will not be access our database right now. I will get back to you when we solve the matter', said Lara.

'Yeah whatever', said Daya sulking.

**2 days later -  
**

**Scene 1**

It was a beautiful day in Sao Paulo. Street art adorned its walls which portrayed the Brazilian culture. Few miles away in the outskirts of city of Sao Paulo, a girl was sitting on her a worn out bed. Fear or any other emotion had no place in her heart. She had just finished writing a letter. She kept it in her bag which she hoped would be found and delivered to the appropriate hands soon.

She checked whether the doors and windows were locked properly. With trembling hands, she pulled out a pistol and put it at her temple. She had to do it. There was no hope left. After that horrible incident she didn't have guts to face the society and her near and dear ones.

'I love you Ma! I will miss you! And I love you so much. Ho sake toh mujhe maaf kar dena', she said.

Her two fingers slid on the trigger and she closed her eyes. A moment of silence and then she pulled the trigger. She collapsed on the floor blood strewn all over her face.

That's it. End of life. This locality was strikingly in contrast with other plush locals of Sao Paulo. It was a harsh reality. Filth and dirt spanned every corner. Drugs, Abuse, Murder and what not. It was a way of living.

The surroundings outside this particular house were very peaceful. Nobody had realised that was young woman had committed suicide a moment ago. Nobody cared. After all, so many of people died every day.

How ironical it was! Sao Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil they say. But when someone was in great need, there was nobody around!

**Scene 2**

Few hours later 2 men entered the house.

'WHAT THE F**K?' one of them exclaimed seeing the dead girl.

'She is hot', said the other one.

'She was...!' corrected the first one and they both laughed.

'Still let's have some fun', said the second man.

They closed the door shut behind them.

**Scene 3**

She was running barefoot as fast as her legs could carry her. She had only one aim. Escape. Run away from this horror forever. She had no idea how she was going to do it. She had to help her friend too. For that she needed to find her. And then they would plan their next move. She chose the most deserted streets and alleys so that nobody would spot her. She suddenly she heard screeching of the brakes. She turned around and saw a speeding sedan heading straight at her.

**Scene 4**

Daya was driving the car at lightning speed. He had to reach that place. What if he's too late? He couldn't afford to lose them now. It would be very difficult for him if he let go of this opportunity. He was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he wasn't looking at the road. When he looked in front he saw a girl slowly turn around. She seemed to have frozen in her place. 'Move aside you fool', he thought desperately. But she stood on her place. Knowing he had only seconds before he crushed her to death, he turned his wheel to the left. The car skidded and he lost control over it. Daya shielded his head and shut his eyes tightly as the car smashed into a giant tree which stood at the side of the road.

He clothes were covered with shards of glass. He opened his eyes. The engine had died down. The front glass was completely broken. He was lucky to have escaped only with one deep gash and a few cuts and bruises.

His eyes however were searching for that girl. He got down from the car. She stood there her face towering with rage.

They looked at one another. 'Pagal ho kya? Itni tez gadi chalata hai kya koi? Logon ko marna chahte ho kya?' she said angrily.

'Chillao mat. Main bohot important kaam ke liye jaa raha tha. Dhyan nahi tha mera. I am sorry ok?' Waise tum raaste se hat nahi sakti thi kya?' he said.

Their argument continued for few more minutes. She saw two men approaching from a distance. But they hadn't spotted her.

'Oh no!' she exclaimed.

'Kya hua?' Daya asked.

'Please yaha se chalo. Kuch log piche pade hai mere. Maar denge mujhe yaha dekh liya to. Kya main tumhare saath chal sakti hu?' she asked him.

'Maar denge? Aisa kya kiya hai tumne? Aur main kaam par jaa raha hoon. Main tumhe waha nahi le ja sakta', he said.

'Please... Main haath jodti hu tumhare saamne...' she said now almost on verge of tears.

'Haan haan thik hai chalo baitho gadi me', he said.

'Hum isme jayenge?' she asked shocked.

'Toh? Dusri gadi kaha se lau main? Aur abhi to tumhe jane ki badi jaldi thi!' said Daya.

'Ok chalo', she said.

They sat in the car and he drove further southwards. He stopped outside the slum dwellings. 'Tum yahi ruko. Main thodi der me aata hoon. Aur jara sambhalke.' said Daya.

'Tum yaha andar jaa rahe ho! Lekin kyun?' asked the girl surprised.

'Dekho main tumhare koi sawal ka jawab abhi nahi de sakta. Mujhe jaroori kaam hai.' said Daya.

'Lekin mujhe bhi yahi jaana tha. Actually meri ek dost hai yaha. Mujhe usse abhi milna hai', she said.

'Kya? Tumhari dost yaha pe? Kaun ho tum? Aur chal kya raha hai ye sab?' asked Daya.

'Please abhi main kuch nahi bata sakti. Chalo yaha se jaldi.' she said.

Without further ado both walked down the twisted, narrow alleyways. People stared at them as they passed. Men passed lewd comments at the girl. Both ignored them walking at a faster pace. Daya walked protectively close to her.

They reached a house. Daya remembered it was the similar one. It resembled the photograph which he had seen on his PDA. 'Meri friend yahi rehti hai', said the girl.

'What?! Ye kaise ho sakta hai? What a coincidence! Lagta hai hum ek hi insaan ko dhoond rahe hai.' said Daya.

A pungent odour reached their nostrils. The girl covered her mouth. 'Yuck!' she exclaimed.

Daya too covered his nose with a handkerchief. The smell grew stronger as the neared the house. It was overbearing. Daya tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. He kicked it open and the sight before their eyes made their stomachs churn. The girl let put her fist in her mouth to stop herself from screaming. In the floor lay a corpse of a girl. The blood had turned from red to black. It had dried completely. The girl was entirely naked and beer bottles were strewn across the floor.

Daya thought he would puke any moment now... The stench of the god knew how many days old dead body was terrible.

'Noooo!' the girl let out a wail and buried her face in Daya's chest. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly.

'It's okay. Chalo yaha se', he said patting her back. He made the girl wait outside the house. He went back in covered the body with a dirty blanket lying around. He scanned the room but as expected there was no murder weapon. All the belongings of the dead girl were missing. He saw a small chit lying below the table. He pocketed it. He looked at the pretty face which now lay cold and dead. 'R.I.P Anisha. I am sorry for getting late. We will miss you. But I promise I won't forgive your killer. He will pay for his sins in this life itself.' said Daya and shut the door. The girl stood in the corner hugging herself and shivering a bit. Tears flew down her cheeks.

'Chalo yaha se. Kya tumhe pata hai tumhari friend ek CID officer thi?' he asked.

'Haan. Main bhi ek CID officer hoon. Shreya Malhotra.', said Shreya.

'Kya? Tum Officer Shreya ho? Thank god tum thik ho. Mujhe laga shayad maine tumhe bhi kho diya', said Daya with a look of relief.

'Kya matlab?' asked Shreya.

'Main Senior Inspector Daya hoon. CID Mumbai se. Mujhe tum dono ko wapas lane ki mission par bheja tha yaha', he said.

'Kya sach? Oh thank god!' she exclaimed tearfully and gripped his hand tightly.

'Fikr mat karo. Hum jald hi nikal jayenge yaha se.' said Daya.

At that moment, a bullet wheezed passed Shreya's ear. She let out a terrified scream. Two masked men were firing at them. Daya grabbed her hand and they hurtled forward running for their lives.

Women had hung their clothes for sun drying. They dashed passed them trying not to get entangled. Small puddles of dirty sewage water were seen everywhere. Daya spotted an old bike. He grabbed it and Shreya sat behind him. 'Hold on to me tight', he ordered. Shreya held him tightly on his waist. The rusty engine churned to life and seconds later they were speeding on the road.

150- 160- 180... The speedometer was rising. The men followed them for some time but eventually lost them. Daya let out a sigh of relief. He slowed down a bit. 'Tum thik ho na? Dar to nahi gayi na itni tez raftar se?' he asked her.

'Jee nahi. Main thik hoon. Aur waise bhi darne se kya fayda? Jaan sabse jyada pyari hoti hai har insan ko. Aur mujhe fast bikes aur cars pasand hai, she said.

'Ab chod sakti ho mujhe', said Daya laughing.

'Oh sorry sir!' she said embarrassed.

A few meters ahead the bike came to a halt suddenly.

'Kya hua?' asked Shreya.

'Diesel khatam ho gaya', he said.

'Oh no ab ye kounsi nayi musibat aa gayi? Ab kya hoga?' asked Shreya.

'Tum bohot jaldi panic ho jati ho. Ruko hum kuch rasta nikal lenge.' he said.

They stopped at the side of the road. But then Daya spotted a self-service gas station ahead. They walked their bike towards it. Daya filled the diesel and as they were about to leave suddenly out of nowhere two bullets were fired straight into Daya's arm.

Blood sputtered out of his arm.

'Dayaaaaa', shreya screamed.

'Shreya bhago jaldi', he yelled.

'Nahi mere piche baithiye aap', said Shreya.

'Kya? Tumhe bike start karni bhi aati hai kya? Ye alag bike hai... Hamari jaise naii...'

'Oh just stop it! Jaldi kijiye!', said Shreya.

Daya sat behind her holding his bloody arm. She drove at full speed and they sped away again.

The firing continued.

'How the hell had they traced them? This won't do. They had to get out of this country as soon as possible.' thought Daya.

'Daya sir aap thik hai na? Kitna khoon nikal raha hai', she said after sometime.

'Haan I am fine. Shreyaaaaaaa aage dekho!' he yelled.

But too late. Their bike struck a huge boulder and they fell. They rolled down the valley cutting through grass and trees.

'Aaaaaaaaagggggggg... Nooooooooooo!' they screamed at the top of their voices. They came to a stop at the bottom of the valley. Luckily there happened to be a street alongside.

'Pagal ho kya? Ab kaise jayenge? Gadi bhi nahi rahi', said Daya.

'Sorry sir! Mujhe maaf kar dijiye please. Lekin ab kya kare?' she said.

Daya's hand was paining now. He knew the damage was deep. 'Shreya tumhe mera ek kaam karna hoga. Mere haath me jo bullets hai wo nikali hogi.', he said.

'Kya?! Nahi main aise kaise? Kitna dard hoga aapko!', she said horrified.

'Shreya please. Jab tak wo bullet andar hai tab tak ye khoon clot nahi hoga. Ye lo isse ho jayega', he said drawing out pincers like tool from his pocket.

'Isse?! Main nahi kar sakti', said Shreya.

'Tum jaroor kar sakogi. I trust you completely', said Daya cupping her face with one hand.

She gulped. She took the tool and with trembling hands started removing the bullets.

Daya clenched his teeth but didn't utter a word. Soon the ordeal was over and Shreya sat down and buried her face in her hands.

Daya smiled. 'Dekha kaha tha na maine tum kar paogi. Mujhe kuch hua bhi nahi', he said tying handkerchief around his wound.

'Aur kuch naa sahi par ek baat main acche se jaan gayi hoon aapke baare me. Aap dard ko chupana acchi tarah se jaante hai', she said.

'Good observation', said Daya smiling at her.

They saw a huge trailer approaching. It was apparantly delivering two brand new BMW's. The rear door of the trailer was open.

'Chalo. Ye hame jaroor airport tak le jayega' said Daya.

They both jumped into the trailer and sat in the one of the cars. 'Please ab kuch nahi hona chahiye. Thak gayi hoon main. Bohot ho gaya aaj ke liye', said Shreya.

Daya took out his PDA and pressed the red button.

'Lara I want you to book two tickets for India at the earliest possible', he said in an urgent voice.

'Is everything all right officer? You seem worried.' said Lara.

'No. Nothing's right. I have some bad news. Officer Anisha is dead. We have confirmed her death. I have rescued Officer Shreya. The goons are following us and we are in great danger.' said Daya.

'Oh I am sorry to hear about Officer Anisha. I will get you both the airline tickets within next half hour. Stay safe.' she said and the screen went blank.

Fortunately the driver had not realised that two unknown people were in his trailer. Their journey continued smoothly ahead. Both of them were unusually quiet. The car in which they were sitting was situated in a slightly elevated level of the truck.

The evening stars crept in the night sky. 'Wow. This is amazing', said Shreya. She had her eyes closed and was enjoying the feel of air on her face. Daya watched her mesmerised. Light breeze blew through her hair. 'She looks gorgeous', thought Daya.

'Mujhe nahi laga tha humari mulakat yaha hogi in halton me hogi', he said.

Shreya smiled. 'Haan. Kitni ajeeb hai na zindagi!'

Eventually Shreya slept resting her head on his shoulder. Daya stayed awake waiting for their destination to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**

When they landed safely at the Mumbai International Airport, Shreya couldn't contain herself. She hugged Daya tightly. He was taken by surprise.'Thank you sir. Agar aap nahi hote toh shayad main yahan kabhi wapas nahi aa pati. Aur naa jane wo log kya karte mere saath', she said Shuddering.

'Kuch nahi karte. Aur ab wo bhool jao.' said Daya.

'Kaash Anisha yaha hoti hamare saath. Bohot miss karungi use.' she said stifling a sob.

'Haan. Uss khooni ko toh main chodunga nahi', said Daya.

Ever since they had arrived from Brazil, Daya and Shreya hit it off instantly. Their warm, loving and caring friendship was noticed by everyone.

They liked being in each others company. Now they wanted to take their relation a notch higher.

'Kya tum aaj mere saath dinner par chalogi', Daya asked her one afternoon.

She gave him a shy smile and nodded. But at the eleventh hour a case came along and much to their dismay, they had to cancel their evening plan. Days passed and they never really got another opportunity to go out together. But one fine Friday, Shreya took the initiative. 'Sir aaj shaam hum dinner pe chale? Kabse jaane ka plan tha hamara. Aaj toh koi case bhi nahi hai' she said.

Daya looked around. Others kept stealing glances at them smiling often. 'Haan thik hai.' he said.

Shreya went to ACP Pradyuman who was checking a case file. 'Sir Kya aaj main jaldi ghar jaa sakti hu? Mujhe bahar jana hai', she said.

'Haan jao', said ACP smiling at her.

'Oh no! Agar maine bhi yahi reason bataya to sabko gossip ka chance hi mil jayega... Mujhe kuch alag reason batana hoga sir ko', thought Daya.

Shreya left the bureau at 3 pm itself. At around 4.30 pm Daya went to ACP sir's cabin. 'Sir meri tabiyat thik nahi hai... Kya main ghar jaa sakta hoon?' asked Daya.

ACP Pradyuman was busy with something.

'Haan Daya. Isme puchnewali kya baat hai? Aaram karo ghar jake', he said immediately.

Daya came out feeling guilty. He hated lying to ACP sir who was like a fatherly figure to him.

'But all is fair in love and war', he thought smiling to himself.

'Abhi main chalta hoon', he said approaching Abhijeet's desk.

'Haan apna khayal rakhna. Main shaam ko possible hua to aa jaunga tumhare ghar 7 baje tak', said Abhijeet winking at Daya.

**Daya's House, 7.00 pm -  
**

He was checking himself in the mirror. His slightly unshaven handsome reflection stared back at him from the mirror. He was dressed in formal trousers and a shiny navy blue tuxedo.

'Wah mere bhai! Aaj to koi bhi ladki tere liye jaan dedegi. Kuch jyada hi handsome lag rahe ho aaj. Shreya toh aaj pakka fida honewali hai tumpar!' said Abhijeet slapping him on the back.

'Chup kar yaar Abhijeet. Tu majak kar raha hai na mera? Main already bohot nervous hoon yaar!' said Daya.

'Daya dekh le warna itni saari ladkiyan tunhare aas paas dekh kar Shreya naraz ho jayegi!', said Abhijeet.

'Bas kar yaar. Main cancel hi kar deta hoon ab', said Daya.

'Hmmm. Thik hai. Main bata deta hoon Shreya ko tum nahi aa sakte', said Abhijeet.

'Abhi nahi. Mera matlab hai...' said Daya awkwardly

Abhijeet laughed. At that moment his cellphone rang.

'Haan Tarika bolo... Kya? Par tumne roka kyu nahi unhe? Oh no kitni badi musibat aa gayi! Ab kya kare? Thik hai hum dekhte hai. Kab nikle wo bureau se? Kya?! Aur tum abhi bata rahi ho? Ok ok bye.' he disconnected the call and looked at Daya with a tense expression on his face.

'Kya hua Abhijeet? Itni tension me kyu ho?' asked Daya.

'Tarika ka phone tha. Daya bohot badi problem ho gayi hai. ACP sir tumhare ghar aa rahe hai abhi tumhe dekhne. Tumne unse kaha tha na tumhari tabiyat thik nahi hai', said Abhijeet.

'Kya? Wo yaha aa rahe hai. Par wo yaha aa gaye to main Shreya se milne kaise jaunga? Aur main toh bilkul thik hoon. Unhe pata chal jayega ki maine unse jhooth kaha', said Daya worriedly.

'Tu bhi na Daya! Koi dusra reason nahi bata sakta tha unhe? Ab kya kare?', said Abhijeet deep in thought.

'Abhijeet main Shreya ko batata hoon ki hum 8.30 baje milenge. Tab tak ACP sir bhi chale jayenge. Main sone ka natak karta hoon. Tum unse baat karke unhe ghar chod do', said Daya.

'Nahi isme bohot badi risk hai. Agar unhone yahi rukne ki zid ki to? Hum aise karte hai abhi nikalte hai yaha se. Tu hotel jaa. Agar phone aaya unka toh uthana mat. Phir wo mujhe call karenge. Main unhe bataunga ki hum doctor ke paas aaye hai, said Abhijeet.

'Haan ye plan accha hai chalo jaldi', said Daya.

Both moved out of the house. As they were locking the door, they heard voice in the staircase. Abhijeet peered down. 'Daya ghar ke andar chalo jaldi... ACP sir aur Salunkhe sir aa rahe hai!' said Abhijeet. They went inside the house in a hurry.

'Daya jaldi bed pe let jao!' said Abhijeet.

'Par Salunkhe sir kaise aa gye? Tarika ne toh sirf ACP sir kaha tha', said Daya.

'Nahi pata mujhe yaar.' said Abhijeet. He covered Daya upto the chin with a blanket. 'Sone ki acting karo. Aur jab tak main na kahu aakhein kholna mat', said Abhijeet.

'Abhijeet hum kitne bade bewakoof hai. Ghar se jaldi bahar jane ki bhi jaroorat nai hai. Agar hum darwaja nahi kholenge toh unko aise hi lagega ki hum ghar par nahi hai.' said Daya.

'Shit!' said Abhijeet.

'Kya hua?' said Daya.

'Jab hum andar aaye tab main darwaja band karna bhool gaya', said Abhijeet and ran outside.

Daya closed his eyes.

'Mar gaya! Lagta hai aaj Shreya ko bohot intejar karna padega', he thought.

Shreya reached Hotel Palm tree sharp at 7.30 pm.

She was super happy. Alone with Daya for the first time. She wanted to make their first date memorable. 'Oops! Did she say 'Date'? Well unofficially it was a date.'

She blushed hard. Where was he? She was getting desperate.

**Daya's House -  
**

Abhijeet ran at top speed into the living room to shut the door and almost bumped into Dr. Salunkhe.

'Kya kar rahe ho Abhijeet?' said Dr. Salunkhe.

'Sir aap dono yaha?' said Abhijeet with an air of surprise.

'Haan... Hum Daya se milne aaye the', said ACP Pradyuman.

'Par abhi toh wo so raha hai', said Abhijeet.

'Abhijeet tum darwaje par kyu baatein kar rahe ho? Andar to aane do hame', said ACP.

'Are haan haan aayein na sir', said Abjijeet.

They entered Daya's room where they saw him fast asleep.

'Kya hua Daya ko. Subah toh bilkul thik tha', asked Dr. Salunkhe.

'Bukhar tha. Aur sir dard ho raha tha', said Abhijeet.

ACP touched Daya's forehead. "Par bukhar toh nahi hai bilkul', said ACP

'Haan wo dawai di hai na abhi. Isliye. Aap jaiye na sir .main hu uske saath', said Abhijeet

'Nahi hum thodi der rukte hai yaha. Main toh soch raha hu aaj rahi ruk jaun', said ACP

'Nahi sir aap aisa nahi kar sakte', Abhijeet exclaimed.

'Kya matlab?' asked ACP with narrowed eyes.

'Matlab sir aap dono thak gaye honge. Aapko ghar jaake aaram karna chahiye', said Abhijeet.

'Yaha bhi toh rest kar sakta hu na? Aakhir mere bete ka hi to ghar hai', said ACP

'Sir wo toh hai. Par aap dinner ka kya karenge?'said Abhijeet.

'Tumhe kya problem hai Abhijeet. Mujhe aisa kyu lag raha hai ki tum hame yaha se bhagana chahte ho?' said Dr Salunkhe suspiciously.

'Are nahi nahi, mujhe kya problem hogi?' said Abhijeet.

'Chalo bahar baithte hai. Main coffee banata hoon sabke liye', said ACP.

He and Salunkhe went outside. As soon as they went out, Daya sat up in his bed.

'Abhijeet, main aaj Ka hamara plan cancel nahi kar sakta. Agar agle 10 minute ke andar ye dono nahi gaye toh main unhe sab sach bata dunga', said Daya.

'Pagal ho kya? Tum aisa kuch bhi nahi karoge. Tere saath meri bhi lag jayegi', said Abhijeet.

'Toh tum kuch karo Abhijeet. Dost ke itna nahi kar sakte?' said Daya.

'Daya ye emotional blackmail hai yaar.', said Abhijeet.

'Jab tum aur Tarika chup chup ke milte ho tab main sambhal leta tha na? Tum aaj mere liye itna nahi kar sakte? Not fair Abhi!' said Daya smiling naughtliy.

'Daya tu bhi na! Main kuch karta hoon. Tu... Tu so jaa yaar pehle', said Abjijeet.

They heard someone approaching. He threw blanket over Daya carefully concealing his tuxedo.

'Kisse baatein kar rahe ho tum?' asked ACP coming inside the room.

'Main... Kisise bhi to nahi', said Abhijeet nervously.

'Jhoot mat bolo... Maine suna hai tumhe baat karte hue', said ACP.

'Main khudse baatein kar raha tha', said Abhijeet.

'Khudse?!' said ACP

'Jaane do Pradyuman... Pagal hai wo', said Salunkhe.

'Excuse me sir? Aap bewajah mujhe bolte rehte hai', said Abhijeet.

'Bewajah kaise? Khud se badbadane wale ko pagal nahi to aur kya kahenge?' said Dr. Salunkhe.

'Chup raho tum dono. Chalo bahar coffee ready hai', said ACP.

'Jee aap jayein. Mujhe ek phone aa raha hai. Main abhi aaya', said Abhijeet.

After they went, Abhijeet called Tarika.

'Hello Tarika? Kuch karo yaar please. ACP sir toh yaha se nikalne ka naam hi nahi le rahe. Aur ye Daya mera sir khaa raha hai. Haan, Thik hai. Par jaldi please. Bye.' he said hung up.

'Daya chup chap lete raho. Main aata hoon', said Abhijeet and went out.

They sat drinking coffee in silence.

After 10 minutes, ACP Pradyuman's phone rang.

'Hello ACP Pradyuman speaking. Kya? Par ye hua kaise? Haan haan main abhi aaya', he said and hung up.

'Kya hua sir?' said Abhijeet.

'Mera padosi ka phone tha. Koi mere ghar ke andar ghus gaya tha. Pata nahi kya churaya hai. Mujhe abhi jana hoga.' said ACP

'Oh my god! Sir jaldi jake dekh lijiye. Aur Salunkhe sir ko bhi leke jayein. Ho sakta hai apko unki madad lage. Main yaha sab sambhal lunga', said Abhijeet.

'Haan. Sahi keh rahe ho Abhijeet. Chalo Pradyuman jaldi', said Dr Salunkhe.

They left hurriedly and Abhijeet let out a sigh of relief.

Daya came out. 'Abhijeet main chalta hoon. Shreya ke 7 missed calls aaye hai. Ab to mera phone bhi nahi utha rahi wo. Hum 7.30 baje milne wale the. Ab 8.15 baj gaye.' he said in onw breath.

'Haan yaar. Lekin unhe parking se to bahar jane de', said Abhijeet

'Haan. Haan. Thanks abhi aur haan Tarika ko bho thanks bolna. Waise kya bataya tum logo ne ACP sir ko?' asked Daya.

'Bohot lambi story hai. Baad me bataunga. Tu jaa jaldi ab', said Abhijeet smiling.

'Haan thike. Baad me milta hu. Bye', said Daya and left.

**9.45 pm, Palm Tree Hotel -  
**

Shreya sat waiting for him. Three empty coffee cups lay in front of her. Daya had messaged her at 8.30 that he was on his way. But he still hadn't arrived.

Now it was too much for her. Shreya called him again.

Daya picked up the phone.

'Shreya? Thank god tumne call kiya. Tumhara phone out of reach aa raha hai. Main kab se intejar kar raha hoon. Kaha ho tum?' he said.

'Main bhi aapka kabse intejar kar rahi hoon. Main hotel me hi baithi hoon kabse!' she exclaimed.

'Mujhe kyu nahi dikhai de rahi phir? Accha ruko mere left side me ek bohot badi painting hai. Saare famous singers ki. Waha aa jao', said Daya.

'Sir aisi same painting toh bilkul mere saamne hai! Kaha hai aap?' she said.

'Ye kaise possible h... Ek minute tum kounsi area ke Palm tree hotel me ho?', Daya asked.

'Nariman Point Ke yaha.' said Shreya.

'Kya? Nariman Point? Waha kyu chali gayi? Main to Bandra ke yaha wale Palm Tree Restaurant me hu!' said Daya.

'Kya?! Lekin mujhe laga ki aap ko beach pasand hai to dinner ke baad hum beach pe jayenge isliye aapne Nariman Point ke yaha jaana socha hoga', said Shreya.

'Tum thik se sun logi meri baat tab na! Maine kaha jana hai ye kehne se pehle hi tumne phone rakh diya', said Daya now losing his temper.

'Aap mujh par chilla rahe hai? Main pagalo ki tarah aap ka intejar kar rahi hu yaha pe 2 ghanto se. Log mujhe ghur rahe hai. Aap mera phone nahi utha rahe. Kabhi uthaya toh thik se baat nahi karte. Mujhe toh lagta hai aap mujse milna chahte hi nahi! Sirf majak kar rahe hai mere saath.' said Shreya angry tears sliding down her cheeks.

'Shreya mere kehne ka wo matlab nahi tha. Dekho -' he said.

'Nahi sir please. Mujhe aapse koi baat nahi karni. Aap khud khaana kha lijiye. Main ghar jaa rahi hu. Aur please phir mujhe kabhi contact karne ki koshish mat karna', she said and hung up.

She stormed out of the hotel, sat in her car and drove off.

Daya was exasperated.

'Main bhi na! Gusse me use kuch bhi bol diya. Aaj ka din hi bakwaas hai. Kya hamara milna hum dono ke naseeb me nahi? Par mujhe abhi Shreya se milna hoga. Bohot jyada naraz hai mujhse.' he thought. He took his bike and went to Shreya's house.

Just as he entered her parking, he saw her getting down from her car.

'Shreya ruko, please.', said Daya.

'Daya sir please mujhe bohot late ho raha hai', said Shreya.

'This is not fair Shreya. Tum mujhe explanation dene ka chance bhi nahi de rahi ho. Mujhe tumhe sirf batana hai ki hua kya tha. Phir tum jaa sakti ho', said Daya.

She kept quiet but stood there.

'Maine Abhijeet aur Tarika ke alava kisise nahi kaha tha ki hum milne wale hai. Tumhe pata hai sab log. Mujhe iss baat ka issue create nahi karna tha. Isliye maine ACP sir se kaha tha ki mere tabiyat thik nahi hai isliye main jaldi ghar jaa raha hoon. Jab main ghar se nikal raha tha tab achanak ACP sir aur Salunkhe sir mujhe dekhne mere ghar aa gaye. Abhijeet ne unse kaise bhi karke convince kar liya ki main sach me bimar hoon. Uske baad main bohot traffic me phas gaya aur phir ye hotel location ka problem. Main sach keh raha hu Shreya. Main sach me milna chahta tha tumse aaj akele. Mujhe tumhe address thik se msg karna chahiye tha. Par excitement me main tumhe batana bhul gaya. Aaj sirf meri wajah se hamara pura plan flop ho gaya. I am sorry. Main tumhe hurt nahi karna chahta tha', he said and looked at her.

She was crying silently but wasn't looking at him. He waited for a few more minutes waiting for her to say something. But she didn't say anything.

'Bye Shreya.' he said and turned to walk back to his bike.

'Daya sir mujhe bohot bhook lagi hai', said Shreya innocently. She sniffed.

Daya stopped in his tracks and smiled to himself

He then walked back to her.

'Sorry Sir maine aapko kuch bhi keh diya phone par... Mujhe maaf kar dijiye please...' she said.

He wiped her tears. 'Rona band karo pehle. Aur chalo', he said.

'Kaha?', she asked.

'Tumhe bhook lagi hai na?', he said.

'Haan. Par ab to 11 baj gaye. Itni raat ko kya milega?' she asked.

'Shreya ye Bombay hai. It's never late', he said.

She smiled and together they walked back to his bike. He took her back to Nariman point near Marine Drive where they had grilled sandwiches and Tava pulav on a street Truck. She felt so happy. What a memorable first date it was!

'Kya tum kuch der rukna chahogi yaha? Bohot accha lag raha hai', asked Daya.

She gave her assent immediately. Well known as the 'Manhattan' of Mumbai, they watched the spectacular skyline.

They walked along watching the lights in silence listening to the waves of the sea. Later they sat on a huge boulder. Nobody was there except the two of them. He was sitting very close to her.

'Shreya hum acche dost toh hai hi. Lekin main soch raha tha ki hum kuch aur bhi ban sakte. Matlab dost se kuch aur.' he said softly.

'Daya?' she said looking at him.

He kept a warm hand on her shoulder. She felt tingly inside. She smiled feeling a bit shy and her cheeks blushed faintly. He pulled her into his strong arms and they embraced each other. She melted in his hug. The warmth from his chest touched hers and she felt an overwhelming sensation. 'Thank you Daya. Aaj ka din sabse special raha hai mere liye', she said.

'Ab se tumhara har din special rahega Shreya. Maine kabhi nahi socha tha ki mujhe tum jaise ladki se pyar ho jayega', said Daya.

'Mujh jaisi matlab?' she asked.

'Hum bilkul opposite hai. Personality bohot alag hai hamari. Main bohot jyada reserved hoon. Aur tum bohot extrovert ho. Full of life', he said.

'Shayad isliye to kehte hai opposites attract', she said smiling.

He smiled and pulled her closer. At half past twelve, they reached Shreya's home.

'Ab to ek pal bhi tumse dur rehne ka mann nahi kar raha', he said.

'Daya, stop it please. You are making me nervous', she said.

'Mujhe kuch chahiye Shreya.' said Daya looking into her eyes.

'Kya?' she said softly.

He stepped closer and brushed loose hairs off her face. She turned her head to one side and smiled.

He leaned in, smiling and kissed softly on her lips. The touch of his lips on hers sent shivers down her spine. She pulled him closer and they embraced each other without breaking the kiss.

His unshaven face brushed against her soft skin giving her Goosebumps. They stayed like that for a long time their lips gently pulling at each other's. He caressed her hair gently. They broke finally gasping for air. 'That was wonderful', he breathed into her ear.

She blushed crimson.

'Good night Daya', she said kissing him on cheek and ran to her apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The feeling of love was overpowering her. She did her job well but after going home she found herself thinking only about Daya and their wonderful future together. She wanted his presence. She wanted to spend time with him. But work constraints and deadlines were making it almost impossible for them. Tarika and Purvi who had become her best friends were very much excited for their relationship.

'Oh my god! Daya sir aur itne romantic! Yakeen nahi hota!' squealed Purvi in delight.

'Haan Shreya. I am so happy for both of you. Tum dono kitne cute lagte ho saath me', said Tarika.

Shreya smiled.

'Haan bikul tumhare aur Abhijeet sir ki tarah', said Shreya.

Now it was Tarika's turn to blush.

'Aur Purvi tera kya? Itne saalo se CID me hai. Koi toh pasand aaya hi hoga tujhe', said Shreya.

'Chup kar! Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai. Main single hoon', said Purvi shyly.

'Sirf hame batane ke liya. Chal aaj sach sach bata de.' said Tarika.

'Kyu piche pade ho yaar tum dono. Jab mujhe pyar ho jayega tab pehle tum dono ko bataungi pakka promise.' said Purvi.

**Few days later -  
**

It was Saturday evening. Everyone was leaving for home. 'Tarika! Kal Sunday hai. Bohot dino ke baad koi case bhi nahi hai. Hum shopping ke liye chale? Purvi kal busy hai thodi', said Shreya.

'Shreya actually me jaroor aati par main kal Abhijeet ke saath bahar jaa rahi hu. Usne abhi mujhe message kiya tha. Kuch surprise plan hai. Pata nahi but I am so excited.' said Tarika sounding overjoyed.

'Wow. Surprise haan! Thik hai tu jaa. Hum shopping baad me jayenge', said Shreya smiling.

'Hey ek bohot accha idea hai. Kyu na hum sab raat ko dinner saath me kare? Tum Daya se puch lo. Maja aayega', said Tarika.

'Boho accha idea hai Tarika. Main Daya se baat karlungi. Tu Abhijeet sir ko bata de', she said.

Tarika left. Shreya was waiting in the bureau for Daya. He came finally after half an hour.

'Daya kaha the aap? Kitne time se wait kar rahi thi aapka', said Shreya.

'Sorry. Main case ki kuch files dekh raha tha isliye late ho gaya.' said Daya.

'Accha wo chodiye. Kal kya hum dono Abhijeet sir aur Tarika ke saath dinner par chale? Tarika puch rahi thi mujhse', said Shreya.

'Kal nahi possible hoga mujhe Shreya. Mujhe khabri se milne jaana hai. Phir kabhi jayenge', said Daya.

She felt a bit sad but didn't show it.

'Okay. Phir kabhi jayenge. Main Tarika se bol dungi. Accha to ab chale ghar? Aap mere saath chaliye na ghar... Aapki favourite black coffee aur cookies khayenge.' said Shreya.

'Shreya nahi. Mera kaam khatam kaha hua hai? Aaj mujhe kam se kam 10 baj jayenge yaha par. Tum ghar jao. Hum phir kabhi plan karenge ok?' said Daya.

Shreya felt very angry now.

'Daya aap ke paas kabhi bhi waqt nahi hota mere liye!' she said.

'Shreya baat ko samjho. Mujhe sach me kaam hai. Aur maine kaha mana kiya hai tumhe kahi jane se? Tu, chali jao Tarika aur Abhijeet ke saath. Waise bhi akeli ghar par bore ho jaogi', he said.

'Daya aap samajh nahi rahe hai. Mujhe aapke saath time spend karna hai. Lekin aap kaam ke alava kuch nahi karte. Ek mahine pehle aapne mujhe propose kiya hai. Uss din se lekar aaj tak kitni baar humne ek saath waqt bitaya hai?' she said.

'Par main jaan bhujkar thodi na kar raha hu?'He said angrily.

'Maine aisa kab kaha Daya? Par aap koshish toh kijiye waqt nikalne ka! Kaam toh hamesha rehta hai sabko!' she said heateadly.

'Shreya bas bohot ho gaya. Ek din tumhe mana kar diya toh itna gussa kar rahi ho tum? Aur main aisa hi hoon Shreya. Tum kuch bhi bole jaa rahi ho', he said angrily.

'Thik hai. Aapko jo karna hai kijiye', she said and stormed out of the bureau.

Daya threw the files on the table and set off to work after sometime.

The following Monday Shreya ignored Daya completely. Daya noticed her anger but the day's events kept him busy and he didn't get any chance to talk to her. During lunchtime, Tarika recited her romantic gateway with Abhijeet to Shreya and Purvi.

'Wah! Maan gaye Abhijeet sir ko. Aur unki choice kaafi acchi hai', said Purvi admiring Tarika's dress which was gifted to her by Abhijeet.

'Sachme bohot lucky ho tum Tarika. Abhijeet sir bohot pyar karte hai tumse', said Shreya.

Tarika smiled.

'Waise Shreya aaj tu kyu udas hai itni? Daya ke saath koi jhagda hua kya? Ya tu ab bhi naraz hai usse dinner plan cancel karne ke liye?' said Tarika.

'Nahi aisa kuch nahi. Bas thoda mood off hai', said Shreya.

'Shreya mujhe kuch baat karni hai tumse', came Daya's voice.

'Tarika chal main chalti hu. Bohot kaam hai mujhe', said Shreya ignoring him completely.

Tarika shrugged her shoulders looking at Daya.

'Tarika, hum chalte hai', said Purvi.

She and Tarika left the cafeteria. Shreya got up to leave too but Daya held her wrist and pulled her into a secluded spot.

'Abhi naraz ho mujhse? Sorry Shreya. Iss sunday hum pakka bahar jayenge I promise', said Daya.

'Bas sorry bol diya toh ho gaya? Mujhe nahi baat karni aapse', said Shreya.

Daya smiled.

'Shreya tum bilkul bacchi ki tarah ho. Tum jo bhi punishment dogi wo mujhe manjur hai. Par aisa gussa mat karo mujhpar. I love you Shreya.' said Daya.

She had already melted by his words. She couldn't help smiling.

'Sorry Daya. Maine bohot gussa kiya kal aap par', she said.

'Ab ek sweet si smile de do aur mujhe meri gift bhi chahiye', said Daya.

She gave him a smile and kissed him on cheek blushing.

He cupped her face. 'That's my girl. Ye smile bohot miss karta hoon main. Gussa bilkul suit nahi karta tumhe. Hamesha aise hi rehna. Chalo der ho rahi hai', he said.

She hugged him tight.

'I love you Daya', she said.

Their relationship was full of romance but there were times of clashes as well.

Shreya always wanted more of Daya's time. Whereas he thought she was being too greedy.

She shared her thoughts with her best friends one evening when they had met for their usual gossip.

'Shreya itna mat soch. Har rishtey me jagde to hote hi rehte hai', said Tarika.

'Haan aur ladne jhagadne se hi toh pyar badhta hai', said Purvi.

'Nahi. Samajh nahi rahe ho tum dono. Unhe sirf apne kaam se pyar hai. Aaj tak kabhi bhi unhone khud initiative nahi liya mere saat time spend karne ka. Wo mujhse pyar hi nahi karte', said Shreya.

'Shreya kya bol rahi ho tum?' said Tarika.

'Sach keh rahi hu main', said Shreya.

'Shreya use thoda waqt thik ho jayega. Jaldbazi me decision mat lo. Trust me Daya bohot pyar karta hai tumse', said Tarika.

Shreya nodded silently and gave a short smile.

One day they heard that Anisha's mother was unable to bear the shock of her daughter's death. She fell ill and eventually passed away.

Shreya clutched her letter in her hand which Daya had discovered at the murder site, crying softly. How could anyone be so ruthless? Her lifeless corpse hovered in front of her eyes often. She would wake up in the night sometimes screaming. Anisha had confessed in her letter that she had been molested and she couldn't face the society and hence she was committing suicide. Shreya missed her friend so much.

'Shreya bas. Kitna roogi? Mujhe pata hai tumhe kya feel ho raha hai par hum kuch nahi kar sakte. Lekin jisne bhi ye sab kiya hai hum chodenge nahi use', said Daya in a soothing keeping a comforting arm around her.

It was women's Day. Shreya was sitting in Daya's room, flicking tv channels as he worked on his laptop. 'Shreya tum jamewali thi na Tarika ke saath bahar? Kya hua?' asked Daya.

'Use Abhijeet sir ke saath kahi jaana hai', said Shreya

'Finally ho gaya sab complete.' said Daya.

'Daya hum kahi bahar chale? Shopping par? Aaj waise bhi women's day hai.' asked Shreya.

'Shreya please aaj nahi main bohot thak gaya hoon.' he said.

'Thik hai. Par apko har waqt bahane acche mil jate hai', said Shreya icily.

'Shreya ab phirse chalu mat karo', said Daya irritated.

'Aap to aise bol rahe hai jaise saari duniya ka kaam aapke he sir pe hai. Abjijeet sir bhi ek Senior Officer hai. Unko kaise kabhi problem nahi hoti? Poori CID department ko time milta hai sivay aapko. ACP sir bhi bahar jaate hai unhe kaise time milta hai phir?' she retorted back.

'Stop this nonsense Shreya. Mujhe ye samajh me nahi aata ki tum hamesha kisi aur se compare kyu karti ho? Abhijeet aur Tarika dus bar bahar gaye iska matlab ye nahi ke hum bhi dus baar bahar jaye. Har insan alag hota hai', said Daya.

'Dus baar kaha bol rahi hu par ek baar expect kiya to kya galat kiya maine?', said Shreya on verge of tears.

'Tumhe mere saath waqt bitana hai na toh bahar jaane ki kya jaroorat hai? Yaha baithke baatein nahi ho sakti? Par hum jab bhi milte hai tab tumhe hamesha koi na koi problem hoti hai. Sirf ladti rehti ho.', said Daya.

'Daya maaf kar di jiye mujhe. Isse aage jaisa aap kahenge waise hi hoga. Happy? Chalti hu main. Rest kariye aap', she said and left.

'Tumhe bilkul bhi samajh nahi hai Shreya. Hamesha extreme sochti ho',thought Daya.

Next day Daya and Shreya were very angry at each other and didn't talk at all.

In the afternoon, the team got a call that the gang who had killed Officer Anisha in Brazil was spotted at a closed cement factory near Madh Island. Daya, Abhijeet, Sachin and Purvi reached the factory. They separated and searched the entire area. The gang became alert and they fired. A bullet got shot straight into Daya's left arm. He staggered in pain. 'Daya!' Abhijeet yelled in fear. Purvi and and Sachin followed the goons. 'Daya tu thik toh hai na?' said Abhijeet.

'Haan Abhijeet. Chinta mat karo main thik hu', said Daya tying a handkerchief around his arm to stem the blood flow. At that moment his cellphone rang. His blood boiled seeing the caller's name. 'Rajiv! Mujhe pata tha ye sab tera hi kaam hoga. Saamne aa mere! Aaj to zinda nahi bachega mere haath se', said Daya.

'Relax Daya. Itna gussa sehat ke liye thik nahi... Tumhare saamne ek black Honda city hai. Usme jaakar baitho. Waha tumhe ek address ki chit milegi. Waha aa jao. Aur akele aana.' said Rajiv.

'Thik hai.', said Daya and disconnected the call.

'Kya hua Daya?' said Abhijeet.

'Rajiv ne mujhe akele milne bulaya hai. Tum log dekho iss gang ko. Tab tak main aata hun', said Daya.

'Daya tum akele kaise jaoge? Already tumhe goli lagi. Main bhi chalta hu tumhare saath', said Daya.

'Nahi Abhijeet... Usne akele bulaya hai mujhe. Aaj hume use pakadna hi hoga. Aur meri chinta mat karo. Kuch nahi hoga mujhe', said Daya and walked towards the parked Honda City.

He got it and drove towards marine drive. He turned onto a deserted street as instructed. The road stretched out long and led towards the sea.

His cell phone rang again and he turned on the bluetooth. 'Daya! Kya baat hai! Toh marne ke liye tayar? Tum CID officers bohot jyada trust karte ho yaar logon pe', said Rajiv.

'Bakwaas band kar Rajiv. Aaj meri nahi teri maut hogi aur wo bhi mere haatho', said Daya.

'Daya jab gadi se zinda nikaloge tab ye sab kar paoge na! Tumhare paas sirf 1 minute hai Daya', said Rajiv laughing and the call got disconnected.

The next moment, his cell phone rang again.

'Daya kya tum abhi bhi drive kar rahe ho?' came Abhijeet's panicky voice.

'Haan. Woh main Marine drive ke yaha hoon.', Daya was saying.

'Daya abhi isi waqt bahar niklo gadi. Rajiv ne tumhari gadi me bomb plant kiya hai'

'Kya?!'

'Daya jaldi karo please.'

Daya fumbled with his seat belt while trying to control the speeding car.

The seat belt was stuck.

He swore under his breath. He pulled the belt roughly and finally it came off. He opened the door and jumped out. 'Bang!' At that exact moment, the blast took place. The damage was done. Daya got blinded by the sudden fire and he flew metres sideways and fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious. Abhijeet, Ourvi and Sachin who were following him arrived five minutes later.

'Oh no Daya sir!' Purvi screamed.

The car screeched to a halt and Abhijeet ran towards him.

'Dayaaaa! Oh no ye kya ho gaya!' said Abhijeet.

Sachin checked his pulse.

'Sir Pulse bohot weak hai. Daya sir khatre me hai', said Sachin.

'Sachin uthao Daya ko jaldi. Hospital le chalte hai', said Abjijeet.

The put Daya in the car and drove towards the hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer - I do not own lyrics of the song "Sooraj dooba hai"**

**Chapter 5**

They rushed Daya to the hospital and informed at CID bureau. Shreya got so shocked that she collapsed onto her chair. Guilt and regret filled her heart. 'Main kitni pagal hu. Hamesha ladti rehti hu Daya se. Agar aaj unhe kuch ho gaya toh main kabhi maaf nahi kar paungi apne aap ko. Oh god please Daya ko bacha lijiye. Main kabhi nahi behes karungi unke saath.', she said tearfully.

'Shreya chal hospital jaldi. Kuch nahi hoga Daya sir ko.' said Nikhil.

They all went to the hospital. After almost two tensed hours, the doctor told them that Daya was out of danger. ACP, Abhijeet and others went in to meet Daya.

'Shreya chal na andar', said Purvi.

'Kaise jaun Purvi unke samne. Bohot guilty lag raha hai mujhe. Hamari phir se ladhai hui thi kal sham', said Shreya.

'Shreya wo sab bhul jaa. Tujhse milne ke baad dekh sir kitne khush honge', said Purvi.

They entered and Daya looked at Shreya. She couldn't look into his eyes. Abhijeet noticed the awkward silence between them and thought they should leave them alone for some time. He said aloud, ' Chalo ab hum sab bureau chalte hai. Shreya tum rukh jao Daya ke saath. Main thodi der me aata hu'

When the two of them were alone, Shreya said, 'Daya ye sab kaise hua? Aap bilkul bhi khayal nahi rakhte apne aap ka! Agar aaj kuch ho jata to?'

'Tum ho na mera khayak rakhne ke liye. Aur mujhe kuch nahi hoga... Tum itna pyar ko karti ho mujhse', he said smiling.

She rested her head on his chest. 'Sorry Daya kal ke liye', she said slowly.

'Shreya chodo na. Main sab bhul gaya hu. Aur ye sab to hota hi rehta hai. Apne aao ko itni takleef mat do', he said patting her head.

Daya got discharged after two days. Those two days were really special for him. Shreya stayed up with him all the time making sure he ate properly and took his medicines on time. He felt pampered and loved her care towards him.

The entire CID team had decided to go for dinner. It was a pleasant evening. Everyone was enjoying. They were served starters and soft drinks. It was still time for dinner. Bollywood songs were being played in the background. Some couples had already crowded the dance floor.

**Sooraj dooba hai yaaron**  
**Do ghoont nashe ke maaro**  
**Raste bhula do saare gharbaar ke**  
**Sooraj dooba hain yaaron**  
**Do ghoont nashe ke maaro**  
**Gham tum bhula do saare sansaar ke**

**Ask me for anything**  
**I can give you everything**  
**Raste bhula do saare gharbaar ke**  
**Ask me for anything**  
**I can give you everything**  
**Gham tum bhula do saare sansaar ke**  
**(ooo...)**

Shreya just couldn't sit in one place listening to the song. She wanted to dance but she kept quiet. She didn't want any quarrels between her and Daya.

She was chatting animatedly with the girls when someone touched her shoulder.

'Daya? Kya hua?' she said smiling at him.

'Excuse us. Main Shreya ko le jaa raha hu thodi der', said Daya and pulled her onto the dance floor. He passed a note to the DJ and the song changed into a romantic number.

He pulled her into his arms.

'Daya ye sab achanak?' she said shyly.

'Haan. Tum aaj itni acchi lag rahi ho. Toh socha thoda romance kar loon.' he said smiling.

The lights were dimmed.

He tightened his arms around her waist pressing her firmly against his body.

'Daya sab dekh rahe hai hame', she said.

'Nahi Shreya. Dekho', he said and pointed to others who were busy chatting.

'Pichle kuch dino me hamare bich jo dooriyan thi wo sab mita dena chahta hoon main', he said.

'Daya, jo ho gaya so ho gaya. Ab aage aisa kabhi nahi hoga', she said.

He leaned on and brushed his lips lightly onto hers. She pushed him away and ran outside. He followed her. Now they were in the parking. It was dark and vacant. He caught her wrist. His car was parked nearby. He unlocked it and pushed her inside.

'Daya nahi' she said in a husky voice.

'Do you trust me Shreya?' he asked.

'Of course Daya. Aise kyu puch rahe hai aap?' She asked.

He laid her on the back seat and slid on top of her.

She closed her eyes. She wanted him close but she was nervous at the same time. He ran his tongue over her lips and kissed her softly making her smile. He now licked her earlobes softly making her moan. He started kissing her neck and she was lost. Her fingers were into his hair. 'Daya... Ahhhh...stop it plz... Aaaaouch', she gasped as he bit her. He crushed his lips against hers again and broke off until they couldn't breathe. He controlled himself and moved away. She sat next to him and gave him a shy smile. 'Daya chaliye wapas party me jayenge', she said.

'Haan.' he said and smooched her again.

They made themselves a bit presentable and went back to the party.

**A few days later -  
**

'Daya wo tumhari dost kab aa rahi hai?' asked ACP Pradyuman.

'Daya ki dost? Kaun?', asked Abjijeet.

'Aditi naam hai uska. Meri college ki dost hai. Use Forensic Science ki kuch training leni hai. DCP sir ki relative hai. Unse special permission li hai. Ek mahine ke liye hamare saath Forensic Lab me kaam karegi wo. Aaj ki flight se hi aa rahi hai. 4 baje tak yaha pohoch jayegi', said Daya.

'Thik hai.' said ACP.

Half an hour later, a tall slim girl with wavy waist length hair entered the bureau. She had a very fair complexion and pretty face. 'Daya!' she exclaimed and almost ran to him.

Everybody looked up at them. Daya gave her a warm hug and Shreya glared at Aditi from the corner. 'Kaise ho?' he said.

'I am fine Daya. Aur tum?' she said.

'Kaisa lag raha hu?' he asked.

'Handsome as ever!' she said smiling.

'Thank you. Chalo ACP sir se mila deta hoon', he said and they marched inside ACP sir's cabin.

Everybody got along well with Aditi. She was a very charming person. Once Purvi, Sachin, Aditi Freddy, Daya, Shreya, Abhijeet and Nikhil they were sitting in a restaurant. They had met for lunch.

'Chalo ice-cream ka flavour bolo... Kaunsa flavor khayenge aap sab?' asked Sachin.

'Butterscotch!' said Aditi and Daya in unison. They smiled at each other.

'Are wah tum dono ki choices bohot milti hai', said Abhijeet.

'Haan dekho aaj to dono ne dress bhi black colour ka hi pehna hai', said Freddy jokingly.

Shreya didn't know whether Aditi was aware of their relationship. But she felt possessive about him. She silently ate her ice-cream along with others. She also noticed that they hardly ever quarrelled. 'Lekin har baat me ek opinion kaise ho sakta hai?' she thought.

One late evening Shreya decided to pay a surprise visit to Daya. He was not in bureau since morning.

The main door was ajar when she arrived. It was 10.30 pm

She could hear someone talking. She went in.

'Oh my! Daya hum kitne pagalo jaise bartav kar rahe the kal raat. Pub me sabse jyada maja aaya. Sirf drinks, dosti aur dance. Woooooooo', yelled Aditi walking unsteadily.

Daya supported her and made her stand properly. 'Aditi kya kar rahi ho? Maine mana karne ke baad bhi tumne drink kiya', he said.

'Offfoooo chodo na Daya. Waise bhi tum ho na mujhe sambhalne ke liye. Phir mujhe koi fikr nahi', said Aditi wrapping her arms around his neck.

He tried to remove her hands but she wouldn't let go.

'Sach kahu bohot enjoy kiya aaj. Kaafi dino baat saare college ke dost ek saath the. Maja aaya. Pichle kai dino se bohot tension, stress se gujar raha hoon. Aaj sirf tumhari zid ki wajah se main itna accha feel kar raha hoon. Thankyou', he said.

'Ohhh. Thank you kyu bol rahe ho baby? Tumhare liye main kuch bhi kar sakti hu', she said coming closer to him.

He picked her up in his arms. 'Ssshhh... Bas bohot ho gaya. Chalo so jao', he said and carried her to her room.

Shreya was reddened with anger. Tears flew from her eyes. She silently followed Daya.

Daya was covering Aditi with a blanket.

'Daya tum bhi aa jao sone.'said Aditi.

'Mujhe time hai. Aur main meri room me so jaunga', he said.

'Daya, ye kya hai? Mere sone tak bhi nahi rukoge', she asked hopefully.

He smiled. 'Bilkul bacchi ho. Hum kal baat karenge. Good night', he said and turned off the light.

When he came out, he almost jumped seeing Shreya.

'Shreya tum iss waqt yaha? Aur darwaja khula tha kya? Kya hua kuch bol kyu nahi rahi ho?' he said

'Haan accha hua yaha aa gayi. Atleast pata to chala aap aur Aditi ka kya chal raha hai', she said.

'Shreya kya bol rahi ho? Wo meri acchi dost hai', he said.

'I see. Tabhi toh itne pyar se samjha rahe the use', she said.

'Shreya dimag kharab ho gaya hai kya tumhara?' he said angrily.

'Kya keh rahe the aap pichle kai dino se aapko tension aur stress hai. Aur uske saath bahar ghumne ke liye time hai aapko. Kyu aaj koi kaam nahi yaad aaya? Daya aap nahi rehna chahte mere saath to bol dijiye na sach... Aise mere pith piche ye sab-

'Shut up Shreya! Aaj to had hi kar di tumne. Hamesha mere kehne ka galat matlab nikalti ho tum. Rishta nibhana kya hota hai tum jaanti hi nahi. Hum relationship me hai iska matlab ye nahi ki pura din hum saath rahe. Aur main aisa hi hoon Shreya. Mujhe meri space chahiye. Kya main mere doston ke saath ab bahar bhi nai jaa sakta. Ya har baar tumhari permissiom leni padegi? Tang aa gaya hoon main in roj ki ladai se', he said.

'Haan. Sab dosh mera hi hai na. Aap toh kabhi galat ho hi nahi sakte. Mr. Perfect. Daya par ek baat kahu aapse? Mujhe hamesha aise lagta aaya hai ki aap apni feelings kabhi bhi share nahi karte mere saath. Kabhi puri tarah open up nahi hue aap. Aur isi liye ye sab ho raha hai', she said.

'Nahi. Mujhe pata hai kya hi raha hai. Pura mood kharab kar diya. Accha lag raha hoga na ab?', he said.

'Daya, aap ye bol rahe hai? Thik hai main sab samajh gayi.' she said and ran away sobbing.

After 10 minutes of angry silence, he regretted saying those words to her. He knew she was hurt. He tried calling her but she didn't answer. He threw his phone angrily on the bed and went off the sleep which he was sure wouldn't come.

Again the next two days there was no conversation between them.

Finally on Sunday evening Daya went to Shreya's house. He had decided something. He wanted to tell her. It was very important for both of them.

She stood in front of him with folded hands, a sullen expression on her face.

'Shreya maine bohot socha hamare baare me. Maine ek faisla liya hai..Hum thode din ek dusre se dur rahe to accha hoga', he said.

Her heart skipped a beat.

'Daya... Kya matlab?', she said.

'Shreya hum thode din ke liye iss relationship ko baju me rakhte hai. Main maanta hun galati dono ki hai. Dur rehkar shayad hum ek dusre ko aur behtar jaan jayenge. Ye hamari zindagi ka sawal hai Shreya. Hum lightly nahi le sakte. Tum samajh rahi ho na main kya kehna chahta hoon', he said.

She got really hyper.

'Nahi. Please aisa mat kijiye. Hum pyar karte hai na ek dusre se. Main aaj se aapki har baat manungi. Aur koi sawal nahi karungi aapse', she said.

'Shreya yahi to main nahi chahta na. Tum abhi bhi galat soch rahi ho. Tum jaisi ho waisi tumse rishta todne ke liye nahi keh raha hu. Bas thoda time dena chahta hu. Mujhe abhi koi commitment nahi karni. Bas itna keh raha hu main', he said.

She merely looked at him slightly open mouthed.

He cupped her face.

'Trust me... Main kabhi kuch galat nahi hone dunga tumhare saath. Bas thode din ki baat hai. Jo sawal hum dono ke mann me hai unke jawab hame apne aap mil jayenge', he said.

She couldn't understand. It was totally unexpected from Daya.

'Shreya itna socho mat. Sab thik hoga. Main chalta hoon.' he said and left leaving her staring after him tearfully.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
**

The next few days were very difficult for both of them. Daya behaved as if Shreya was a mere colleague. He showed no emotion and just kept to his work. Meanwhile he and Aditi came quite close.

She was very different from Shreya. Matured and reserved yet a bit naughty. She would often stay with Daya. They enjoyed going out and spending time with one another. Aditi would do whatever Daya wished. She would never throw a tantrum like a kid.

Now almost everyone had noticed their blooming friendship. Daya would make it a point to talk to her every now and then, join her at the cafeteria and drop her home. Their closeness angered Shreya and brought tears to her eyes. She wasn't being her own bubbly self. She would come to bureau, do her work quietly and leave.

Tarika and Purvi knew what had happened. When they tried to talk to Shreya, she became really sad.

'Dekh rahi ho na roz kaise uss Aditi ke saath waqt bitate hai. Mujhe bhi toh yahi chahiye tha. Lagta hai breakup karne ke liye wajah hi dhoond rahe the wo.' said Shreya.

'Daya aisa nahi hai Shreya. Main acchi tarah se janti hu use.', said Tarika.

'Chodo na Tarika. Main aur Daya ek dusre ke liye bane hi nahi hai' said Shreya and left in a hurry.

'Kuch jyada hi pareshan hai. Par Daya sir kyu aise behave kar rahe hai. Yakeen hi nahi hota', said Purvi.

'Hmmm. Shayad mujhe pata hai. Abhijeet se baat karni hogi mujhe. Chal nikalte hai. Already bohot late ho gaya hai', said Tarika.

The following day Tarika and Abhijeet had met for lunch.

'Kya baat hai Tarika? Kuch pareshan lag rahi ho', said Abhijeet.

'Meri pareshani ki wajah Daya hai Abhijeet', said Tarika

'Daya? Ab kya kiya usne?' asked Abhijeet.

'Daya jaan bhujkar uss Aditi ke saath dosti badha raha hai. Shreya jab bhi saamne hoti tabhi Aditi ke kareeb jane ki koshish karta hai. Shreya ko jealous karne ke liye. Shreya bohot pareshan hai Abhijeet. Daya agar ye rishta nahi chahta to use Shreya se baat karni chahiye.', said Tarika.

'Haan maine bhi observe kiya. Aaj jaa raha hu uske ghar. Aaj hi baat kar lunga use', said Abhijeet.

**Daya's Home, Evening -  
**

Abhijeet watched Daya as he squirmed restlessly in his seat. They were sitting in his living room.

'Daya ye kya chal raha hai? Jis wajah se itne restless ho rahe ho uska solution nikalo na! Sirf sochne se kuch nahi hoga', said Abhijeet.

'Yaar aisa kuch bhi nahi hai!' said Daya.

'Mujhe pata hai tum Shreya se bohot pyar karte ho. Phir problem kya hai?', said Abhijeet.

'Abhijeet ye sach hai ki main Shreya se pyar karta hoon. Par hamare beech age difference bohot jyada hai. Shayad is wajah se hum ek dusre ko samajh nahi pa rahe. Aur ye ladhai jagde mujhse bardaash nahi hote. Main use dukhi nahi dekh sakta. Shayad hamara alag hona hi thik hai.' said Daya.

'Aisa kuch nahi hota Daya. Rishte me pyar aur understanding ho to age nahi matter nahi karta. Aur Shreya bohot samajhdar hai. Aur thodi adjustment sabko karni padti hai', said Abhijeet.

'Wo bohot bubbly type ki hai. Lekin har baat pe hasi majak mujhe nahi pasand. Ab uss din ka hi dekh lo. Main uske saath shopping nahi gaya iss liye naraz ho gayi!' said Daya.

'Yaar tum kab sudhroge Daya? Kya galat kiya usne? Main bhi to tarika ke saath gaya tha bahar. Aur wo ladki hai Daya. Unhe ye choti choti romantic cheeje pasand hoti hai.' said Abhijeet.

'Lekin jaroori nahi hai na ki mujhe bhi ye sab pasand ho! Har insaan alag hota hai Abhijeet', said Daya.

'Tujhe kaam ke alava aur kuch bhi pasand nahi! Shreya ka birthday chodke kitne gifts diye hai tune use aaj tak? Usne kabhi shikayat nahi ki tumse. Kitni bar tum dono dinner pe gaye ho saath me? Movie ke liye? Khud hi soch lo Daya', said Abhijeet.

'Lekin ye sab karne ki kya jaroorat hai? Ek dusre ko acchi tarah se jaana aur hamesha ek dusre ka saath dena yahi sabse important hota hai', said Daya.

'Haan ye sabse pehli priority hai. Aur waise dekha jaye toh Shreya bohot care karti hai tumhari aur samjhti bhi hai tumhe. Jab tum hospital me behosh the tab puri raat baithi rehti thi tumhare paas. Phir usne tumse baki cheeje expect ki toh kya galat kiya usne?' asked Abhijeet.

'Yaar mujhe nahi samajh me ata ye sab', said Daya.

'Toh samajhne ki koshish karo na. Aur Daya aage jake tum dono jab yahi pal yaad karoge na tab bohot accha lagega tumhe' said Abhijeet.

'Pata nahi main kar paunga ki nahi. Aise lagta hai jaise wo mere saath khush nahi rahegi kabhi', said Daya.

'Daya aisa kuch nahi hai. Dekho Shreya se kuch bhi bolne se pehle soch lo ek baar yahi keh sakta hoon main tumse. Haan lekin emotional hokar koi bhi decision mat lena. Ye tum dono ki zindagi ka sawal hai. Aur ye Aditi ke saath tum kuch jyada hi ghul mil rahe ho! Matlab acchi baat hai par tum log ye Shreya ke saamne... Tumne use officially kuch bataya nahi hai Daya. Wo abhi bhi sochti hai tum dono ke beech sab thik ho jayega. Bohot upset hai wo. Tumhara jo koi bhi decision hai use bata do. Kitni der rukegi wo tumhare liye.' said Abhijeet

'Tum thik keh rahe ho. Main jald hi bol dunga use. Lekin mujhe sochne ke liye thoda waqt chahiye', said Daya.

**2 Days later, CID bureau, Morning** -

Pankaj and Abhijeet were working on thier desks. Nobody else was present. ACP Pradyuman arrived wiping his face with a handkerchief. 'Sir aaj Daya nahi aanewala bureau. Use kal raat se thoda bukhar hai.' said Abhijeet.

'Achanak kya ho gaya? Ab kaisa hai wo?' said ACP.

'Ab thik hai. Viral infection hai aur kuch nahi. Thoda sir dard bhi tha isliye aaj nahi aanewala', said Abhijeet.

'Use kaho rest karne ke kiye. Main baad me call karunga usse', said ACP.

Later that evening Shreya decided to go to meet Daya. She was not aware of his illness. After the bureau she went to his home. She rang the doorbell. Aditi opened the door.

'Aditi tum?! Yaha kya kar rahi ho?' asked Shreya surprised.

'Main Daya se milne aayi thi. Uski tabiyat thik nahi hai na.' said Aditi.

'Kya hua hai? Mujhe to kuch pata nahi tha!' said Shreya.

'Jyada kuch nahi. Bas thoda bukhar tha. Par ab wo thik hai', said Aditi.

'Ab main aa gayi hoon na. Ab tum jao. Main manage kar loongi', said Shreya in a rather rude voice.

Shreya highly disapproved of Daya's closeness with Aditi. Especially since their relationship was going through a rather rough patch.

Daya entered the living room. 'Shreya tum yaha?'

'Kyu kar rahe hai aap aise? Kya aap mujhse itni nafrat karte hai ki mujhe aap ki tabiyat theek nahi ye batana jaoori nahi samjha?' said Shreya.

'Shreya aisa kuch nahi hai. Bas main tumhe takleef nahi dena chahta tha main. Aur mujhe sirf thoda bukhar tha aur kuch nahi', said Daya.

'Aditi ko to bata diya na apne? Use takleef nahi hui hogi kya? Bata dijiye Daya aap aakhir chahte kya hai. Main aapko force nahi karungi. Par aapka jo bhi decision ho aap bata dijiye. Kyuki ab main ye sab nahi seh sakti', said Shreya.

Aditi stood silently trying to fathom their conversation. Her heart ached. She had always loved Daya since their college days. But she was aware that he had never felt that way for her. So, all these years she had refrained from confessing her love. But since last few days they had come closer again. Daya had opened his heart to her. He had told her about his relationship with a girl. The problems he had faced. But he had never revealed her name. But now Aditi knew that the girl was none other than Shreya. Aditi never wanted to get him forcefully. But since last few days an unbreakable bond of understanding had developed between them.

Aditi had hoped Daya would eventually get over Shreya and be hers forever. But now Shreya stood in front of him and once again she faced the danger of losing him forever.

'Jawab dijiye Daya. Main aapke muh se sach sunna chahti hoon. Abhi isi waqt.' said Shreya.

Daya glanced at Aditi. After his decision to give more time and space to his relationship with Shreya, Aditi had been his companion other than Abhijeet. She was just like him. Calm and composed. She understood him really well. Maybe, better than Shreya. He also had a strong intuition that Aditi loved him. Daya was sure Aditi would care for him, love him and would be a more suitable match for him considering their personalities.

He was in a dilemma.

Both Shreya and Aditi loved him madly. Shreya was right. He couldn't keep her hanging like this. This was the moment of truth. His decision was going to affect all three of them. He closed his eyes. 'God help me', he whispered.

He remained like that for a few more minutes and opened his eyes. He had got his answer. He knew it would hurt her a lot. But he couldn't afford to see her sad and hurt for the entire life. She would have to accept the fact however harsh it sounded.

'Shreya. Maine decide kar liya hai ki...' Daya said


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
**

Riingggg! Daya's phone rang.

'Always at wrong timing!' thought Shreya.

'Haan Sachin bolo. Kya? Kaha ho tum log? Thik hai main abhi aata hu.' said Daya and hung up.

'Kya hua?' asked Aditi.

'Abhijeet uss Tajiv ka picha kar raha tha. Lekin wo haath se nikal gaya. Abhijeet ko goli lagi hai. Main City Hospital jaa raha hu', said Daya.

'Hum bhi chalte hai', said Shreya.

The three of them left in a hurry.

The CID team was waiting for Doctor to come out of operation theatre. They were really worried for Abhijeet. Shreya went to one side and made a call.

'Main bol rahi hu. Sab thik hai na? Jald se jald nikal jao yaha se. Mujhe mera kaam acchi tarah se pata hai samjhe? Haan main bureau jaa rahi hu file lene.' she hung up and let out a sigh of relief. Nobody was paying attention to her. She left the hospital quietly.

When Shreya arrived an hour later at the hospital she came to know Abhijeet was out of danger. Daya had gone to drop him home. She saw Aditi approaching her.

'Shreya mujhe tumse kuch kehna hai.' she said.

'Aditi agar tum Daya ke baare me baat karna chahti ho toh please kuch mat kaho. Maine faisla kar liya hai. Main Ahmedabad jaa rahi hu. Daya nahi karte pyar mujhse. Tum dono khush raho. Main tumhare beech me nahi aayungi', said Shreya.

'Nahi Shreya. Daya sirf tumse pyar karta hai. Main jaanti hu. Usne kaha nahi kuch par bohot miss karta hai tumhe. Mat jao use chodkar.' said Aditi and left from there trying to brush off her tears.

Shreya kept staring after her for a long time.

After dropping Abhijeet home, Daya returned home very late.

Before he could insert the key in the lock, the door opened.

'Shreya!' said Daya shocked.

She kissed him on his cheek.

'Aditi ne kaha tha tum jaa rahi ho? Maine kitne call kiye tumhe! Mujhe laga maine tumhe kho diya hamesha ke liye. Ek toh Abhijeet par ye hamla hua aur upar se tum ye sab. Maine decide kar liya tha Abhijeet thik hone ke baad tumse Ahmedabad aakar milunga aur maafi mangunga. 'He said.

'Main jane se pehle hospital gayi thi Abjijeet sir se milne. Lekin wo already ghar ke liye nikal chuke the. Phir waha Aditi mili aur usne mujhe bataya aapke paas wapas aane ke liye. Usne kaha aap mujse hi pyar karte hai', said Shreya.

'Kya Aditi ne aisa kaha?', said Daya.

'Kyu galat kaha kuch?' asked Shreya with a sad face.

'Nahi Nahi Shreya. I love you..Pagal tha main. Samajh nahi paya tumhe. Par ab tumhe zindagi bhar khona nahi chahta', he said cupping her face.

'I am sorry Daya. Mujhe laga tha aap mujse pyar nahi karte. Isliye main wapas Ahmedabad janewali thi mere ghar. Par ab main hamesha aapke saath hoon. I love you Daya', said Shreya.

The next week came as a surprise for Shreya. In the evening, Daya came to her and handed her a gift wrapped envelope.

'Packing karo ek hafte kahi jaa rahe haip, he said.

'Jaa rahe hai? Par kaha? Aur bureau se chutti kaun dega?' she asked.

'ACP sir se baat kar li hai maine. Aur destination main abhi nahi bataunga. Waha jaane ke baad dekh lena', he said.

She smiled at him. She was really excited. She carefully packed her clothes and a fully loaded gun as well.

**Rio De Janerio, Brazil -  
**

Once again Daya walked the carpeted floors of- airport. But this time everything was different. His 'someone special' walked by his side. It was a bright sunny morning.

A cab drove them to their lavish beach resort.

They spent some passion filled moments together.

At about 7 pm, they went for a stroll on a beach.

Suddenly he stopped and said, 'I am so lucky to have you in my life. Thanks my love.'

Shreya merely smiled. He now hugged her tightly.

She felt the gun in her side pocket. She pulled it out. Took proper aim and pulled the trigger. She heard Daya utter a surprised yelp. She removed herself from her hug and looked into his eyes.

A red blotch had appeared on the side of his shirt. He eyes were glassy. Clearly he wasn't expecting this.

'I am sorry Daya' Shreya whispered.

He collapsed on the sandy beach, surprise and pain etched all over his face.

She felt guilty. What had she done? She knew it was too late for anything. But then a moment later satisfaction replaced guilt.

She smiled contentedly wiping a tear which had rolled on her cheek.

Shreya dialled a number.

'Hello Baby... Are you done with your job?' asked Lara in a sweet voice.

'Yes love, Daya's is dead. I was about to change my mind about killing him but my head got better of my heart', said Shreya grinning.

'Don't tell me you had actually fallen for him. Well quite possible he damn was hot!' said Lara laughing.

'Love?! Ha! I really don't know. But you can say I had developed a soft corner for him. And of course he was excellent in bed. Anyway the job's done. Where do I meet the boss?' asked Shreya in a business like voice.

'He awaits you in room no. 302, Hotel Roberto. Congratulations for successfully completing your mission... See you soon dearie!' said Lara and hung up.

Shreya hired a cab and took off towards the restaurant.

She fumbled through contents of her purse. A CD of all valuable info relating to CID Mumbai was safe with her. She took out her personal diary and flipped through the pages. She stopped at an entry made in bold on a page. It read -

**MISSION: The Killing of Senior Inspector Daya**

**To do List:**

**1_. Kill Officer Anisha - Done_**

_(No need! She blew off her head herself. Smart girl!)_

**_2\. Encounter with Senior Inspector Daya - Done_**

_(The most difficult part. Thought he was going to blow me off with his car. Had to visit Anisha again. Felt sad for her. Sweet girl she was! But he's hot! I am losing my concentration already!)_

**_3\. Escape from Brazil - Done_**

_(To pretend you are escaping is fun :p. The journey home was a whirlwind of joy. I loved playing the dumb, scared girl. A day full of accidents as well!)_

**_4\. Gather detailed Information about each CID officer in Mumbai - Done_**

_(Made good friends in CID Mumbai. But I am proud of my acting skills. Wonder if I should become an actress after I get money from boss! I'll seriously think about it._

_That asshole almost killed Daya that day. I was sincerely worried for Daya. OMG! What's happening to me?)_

**_5\. Fall in Love with Daya. Oops! Make Daya fall in love with you - Done_**

_(Hell! That wasn't easy. But he is an awesome kisser. Our first official date was so cute. Kind of Perfect 'happy ending story'! Felt like we were watching a film. I hate lying to him, betraying him but alas I am more passionate about my work than my love life. )_

**_5\. Lure Daya into web of love and kill him - Done_**

_(I really like him. His genuine concern for me. Oh no I must stay away from all this emotional stuff! The killing part was a bit emotional but it was effortless. He willingly walked into my arms! Murder was never so easy!)_

_**6\. Arrive in Brazil and get rewarded from Boss - In Progres**s._

_(Again an effortless task. He himself brought me to my home Brazil! How romantic can a person be? Senior Inspector Daya is... No... Was a perfect example!)_

As she finished writing the sixth point, she paused for a moment.

She realised she had found him at last. Found him and killed him.

She shut the dairy with a snap, a satisfied smile creeping across her lips.

***** THE END ***  
**


	8. Chapter 7 - Alternate Ending

**A/N - This Chapter is for those who didn't like the previous ending. Read and Review.  
**

**Chapter 7  
**

Shreya and Aditi were waiting for him to answer.

'Riingggg!'

Daya's phone rang.

'Always at wrong timing!' thought Shreya.

'Haan Sachin bolo. Kya? Kaha ho tum log? Thik hai main abhi aata hu!' said Daya and hung up.

'Kya hua?' asked Aditi.

'Abhijeet uss Rajiv ka picha kar raha tha. Lekin wo haath se nikal gaya. Abhijeet ko goli lagi hai. Main City Hospital jaa raha hu', said Daya.

'Hum bhi chalte hai', said Shreya.

Three of them left in a hurry.

**City Hospital, Mumbai -  
**

When Shreya, Daya and Aditi arrived at the hospital, everyone was looking tensed. Tarika was almost on verge of tears.

'Sir ye sab kaise hua? Abhijeet kaisa hai? Doctor ne kuch kaha?' asked Daya.

At that momemt the doctor came out. Everyone was on their feet. 'Kya hua?' ACP Pradyuman asked the doctor.

'I am sorry. Filhaal kuch keh nahi sakte. Unhe agle 2 ghante me hosh nahi aaya to kuch keh nahi sakte' said the doctor.

Now Daya lost his temper.

'Kya kaha aapne doctor? Hosh nahi aaya matlab? To phir aap kab kaam aayenge? Agar Abhijeet ko kuch ho gaya na toh main kisiko nahi chodunga', he said in a raised voice.

'Daya please. Shaanth ho jao', ACP scolded him.

'Aap hame inform karte rehna doctor', he said.

'Jee. Aur aap log fikr mat kariye. Hum puri koshish karenge unhe bachane ki.' assured the doctor and left.

'Ab hame bureau jana hoga. Mujhe pata hai hame abhi yaha hona chahiye par aaj uss Rajiv ko main chodunga nahi. Mere bete par hamla karke bohot badi galati ki hai usne. Daya, Aditi, Shreya aur Nikhil tum log yahi ruko. Aur hame inform karte rehna. Aaj to main uss Rajiv ka encounter karke hi rahunga', said ACP.

The team dispersed.

Daya sat down on the chair dejected. Shreya forwarded her hand to console him but -

'Daya please chinta mat karo. Mujhe vishwaas hai Abhijeet thik ho jayega. Main tumhe itna pareshan nahi dekh sakti. Please sambhalo apne aap ko.' said Aditi.

Daya caught both her hands. 'Thanks Aditi. Pata nahi tumhare bagair main kya karta. Pareshaani kam nahi hua par dil ko sukoon milta hai tumhari baatein sunkar. I hope tum jo keh rahi ho wohi sach hoga', said Daya.

'Bilkul waisa hi hoga Daya', said Aditi smiling at him.

Shreya turmed away to hide her tears.

'Aise kya kami hai mere pyar me ki Daya aaj mujhe chodkar Aditi ko pasand karte hai? Main ye nahi bardaasht kar sakti ki aaj Daya mere saath nahi. Main ab yaha nahi ruk sakti. Kisi ko bina bataye hi mujhe yaha se jaana hoga. Bohot dur. Kyuki ab mujhe pata chal gaya hai Daya kabhi mere nahi ho sakte. Woh Aditi ke saath jyada khush rahenge', she thought.

She wiped her tears and saw Aditi looking at her. She excused herself on pretence of making a call and went out.

Shreya wanted to leave right then but she was worried for Abhijeet. 'Ek baar Abhijeet sir ko hosh aajaye phir main chali jaungi', she thought.

She came back inside the hospital and sat next to Nikhil in silence.

After an hour, the doctor came rushing towards Daya. 'Good news hai. Abhijeet ko hosh aagaya hai. It's a miracle really. Shayad aap sabki duaon ki wajah se ye hua hai. Aur shayad aaj raat tak unhe discharge bhi mil jayega', said the doctor.

Daya's joy knew no bounds.

He rushed inside Abhijeet's room.

Shreya let out a sigh of relief. 'Thank god Abhijeet sir safe hai', she thought.

Nikhil went out to call and inform others.

Aditi approached Shreya.

'Shreya ye sab kehne ki ye sahi jagah nahi par bhi kuch kehna chahti hu tumse.'

'Main sun rahi hu', said Shreya in a rather rude voice.

'Mujhe lagta hai tumhe Daya se baat karni chahiye. Pata nahi tumhare baare me itha confused kyu hai wo.' said Aditi.

'Dekho tum hamari problem me dakhal mat do please.' said Shreya.

'Mujhe lagta hai ki woh tumse bohot pyar karta hai. Lekin problem ye hai ki tum dono me age gap bohot jyada hai. Isliye tum use samajh nahi paa rahi. Daya bohot hi sensitive aur thoda shy type ka hai. Use samajhna utna aasan nahi. Matlab main tumhe dosh nahi de rahi. Bas keh rehi hu.' said Aditi.

'Bas bohot ho gaya. Tumhari baatein sunne ke liye mere paas time nahi. Bohot kaam hai mujhe. Aur tum kya bata rahi ho mujhe Daya ke baare me. Tum aaj aayi ho. Thode din hi kyu sahi par hamne ek saath waqt bitaya hai. Mujhe pata hai wo kaise hai', said Shreya in a hurt voice.

Aditi wanted to speak something but Daya came out so she kept quiet.

'Thank god Aditi Abhijeet thik hai. Shreya tumne bureau me inform kiya sabko?' he asked.

'Nikhil bata raha hai.' she said.

'Kya hua tum itni shaanth kyu ho?' asked Daya.

'Kiise baat karu phir in deewaro se? Aap ko toh shayad ab pata chala ki main yaha par hoon.' she said.

'Ab ye kya naya aa gaya hai tumhare dimag me? Khair chodo abhi mujhe tumse jagda karne me koi interest nahi hai. Main hospital ki formalities poori karke aata hu. Doctor se bhi milna hai mujhe', said Daya and went away.

Without another word, Shreya went into Abhijeet's room.

He smiled at her.

'Sir kaise hai aap? Jyada dard to nahi ho raha na aapko?' she asked.

'Nahi main bilkul thik hu. Par tumhe kya hua hai? Aakhein dekho tumhari... Tum ro rahi thi kya?' asked Abhijeet.

'Nahi to sir! Kuch nahi bas aise hi... Aap thik ho jayiye phir baat karenge kabhi. Main sabko bohot miss karungi sir' she said.

'Miss karogi? Jaa kaha rahi ho?' he asked.

Shreya realised what she had said.

'Nahi. Kahi nahi. Bas aise hi. Sir mai abhi aayi.' sahe said and left hurriedly.

She went out a quickly scribbled a note and wrapped it in an envelope.

She went back to Abhijeet.

'Sir kya aap mera ek chota sa kaam karenge? Ye chitthi Daya ko de dena. Mujhe abhi kahi jaana hai. Bohot der hojayegi. Par jab wo akele ho tab hi de dena please. Aur apna khayal rakiega', she said.

'Shreya mujhd aisa kyu lag raha hai tum mujhse luch chupa rahi ho?' said Abhijeet.

'Nahi sir aisi koi baat nahi. Chalti hu sir', she said and left immediately.

Daya arrived almost an hour later after completing all formalities. At that instant he got a call from ACP. 'Daya tum turant bureau chale aao. Jaroori kaam hai. Nikhil aur Aditi se kehna Abhijeet ke saath rukne ke liye. Aur Shreya kaha hai? Uska phone switched off aa raha hai', he said.

'Thik hai sir main aata hoon. Shreya toh yahi par thi abhi. Main dekhta hu', said Daya and hung up.

He went to Abhijeet's room.

'Mujhe bureau jaana hai Abhijeet. Aur Shreya kaha hai? Uska phone nahi lag raha.' said Daya.

'Pata nahi mujhse kaha kahi jana hai. Bohot jaroori kaam hai. Aur haan tumhare liye ye chitthi chod di hai usne. Jab tum akele hoge tab dene ko kaha tha', said Abhijeet.

'Chitthi? Mujhe pata hai. Jaroor mere bare me koi complaints likhi hogi hamesha ki tarah. Ab ye tarika dhoond liya usne mujhe tang karne ka', said Daya exasperatedly.

'Daya kya yaar kyu gussa karte ho itna. Ye sab wo sirf tumhare pyar ki khatir kar rahi hai.' said Abhijeet.

'Khair jo bhi hai. Baad me padh lunga ye chitthi. Abhi mujhe bureau jana hai urgently. Uss Rajiv ko pakadna hai' said Daya.

'Sambhalkar jaan Daya. Aur haan thoda off track jaa raha hu par Shreya se baat kab kar rahe ho. Aaj mujhe kuch thik nahi lagi wo. Bohot pareshan lag rahi thi. Waise tumne kya socha hai?' asked Abhijeet.

'Socha to hai. Main sab baad me bataunga. Chalta hu. ACP sir intejar kar rahe hai. Raat ko ghar aa jaunga', said Daya.

Capturing Rajiv consumed almost two hours. Everybody was happy that he was behind bars.

Daya suddenly realised that Shreya was still missing. He tried calling her but her cell was switched off. It was almost 9 pm. He now grew really worried. Kaha gayi hogi?

He suddenly remembered the envelope which Abhijeet had given him. He tore open the envelope and drew out the letter.

**It read -**

_"Daya mujhe maaf kar dena main bina bataye jaa rahi hu. Par mujhe ehsaas hua hai ki main aapke pyar ke layak nahi hu. Aaj tak maine aapko sirf takleef di hai. Hamesha meri wajah se saare ladai jhaghe hue hai. Mujhe pata hai Aditi aapko chahti hai. Aur jab aap dono ko saath dekhti hu tab lagta hai ki aap uske saath jyada khush hote hai. Main aapke beech kabhi nahi aayungi. Aditi aapko mujhse behtar samajh payegi. Apna khayal rakhiyega. Bohot miss karungi aap sab ko. _Aaj flight se main Ahmedabad jaa rahi hu hamesha ke liya jaa rahi hu. Bohot dur. I am sorry sir. Par ek baat kehna chahti hu. Maine saccha pyar kiya hai aapse aur marte dum tak karti rahungi."

_Shreya._

He was shocked by reading her letter. 'No! No! No! This wasn't how he wanted his relationship with Shreya to be. He would die without her. Howsoever they quarrelled, he couldn't think of living with anybody else. He had to stop her. He enquired the departure of flights to Ahmedabad.

There was only one flight tonight departing sharp at 10 pm.

He glanced at his watch. He had exactly 50 minutes in hand. 'Sir main aata hu. Zaroori kaam hai', he said and ran outside.

He sat in his car and drove off at full speed.'Vroooommmmm!' his car gave an angry roar as he accelerated and shot forwards leaving a puff of smoke behind.

It felt as if he was in Brazil. He remembered in his very first week he had raced the car on the dangerous road. He was jittery as well as thrilled. He looked ahead and was almost about to bump into another car. He took a dangerous swerve and those at the behind honked loudly apparently cursing him.

He was still far from the airport. Why was time moving so fast?

'Oh fuck!' he swore loudly looking at the scene ahead.

An accident had taken place and a heated argument was in progress. The onlookers had crowded the street watching them abusing. No one was ready to move.

How the hell can they be so relaxed? Damn! He needed to reach the airport. Only half an hour to go!

He saw a broken divider on the right. He was ready to break all the rules. He drove past the broken divider and shot up straight ahead. Yes! He was driving on the wrong side. People flashed headlights or honked at him. A few metres ahead, he heard a siren. It was growing louder and louder. He glanced through the mirror and swore again. A police car was following him for obvious reasons. 'Shit!' he muttered and put down his foot on the accelerator.

He was relieved to see the airport entrance. The police were still on his trail.

He halted the car in the parking and shot out without looking back. He ran inside but was stopped by the security guard.

'Sahab, boarding paas dikhaiye aapka.' he said.

'Dekhiye mere kahi jaa nahi raha. Mujhe kisi ko rokna hai. Jaane dijiye mujhe.' said Daya.

'Aise kaise jaane de? Bina boarding pass ke koi andar nahi jaa sakta' said the guard.

'Dekhiye aap mujhe rok nahi sakte. Main CID officer Daya hu', said Daya showing him his ID.

'Sahab, aap jo koi bhi hai koi fayda nahi. VIP logon ko bhi entry nahi hai andar. Abhi security bohot tight kardi hai', said the guard.

'Samjhne ki koshish karo... Main yaha kisiko rokne aaya hu. Wo chali gayi toh problem ho jayega. Uska phone bhi nahi lag raha. Pyar ka mamla hai boss!' said Daya in an urgent voice.

The guard started laughing.

'Sahab ye film ki story lagti hai kya aapko? Woh scene tha na ek film me. Ladke ko police ne pakad ke rakha tha airport pe aur ladki ko bhi aur phir dono chillate hai aur phir gale lag jate hai. Amir Khan ne banaya tha picture. Dekha hai apan ne. Waise karna chahte hai kya aap? Aur mujhe to aap CID ke lagte hi nahi. Criminal ko chodke pyar ko bachane airport pe? Hahahaha... Kya majak karte hai sahab. Lekin accha laga apan ko. Najane kaha kaha se aate hai.' he said laughing.

Daya was getting restless now. What the hell was this dumb guy talking about? Daya realised there was no use reasoning with him. Time was slipping away. He noticed a mic slung over the shoulder of the guard. He knew it was connected to the central announcement speaker inside the airport. He looked around. Nobody was watching. The guard was still murmuring to himself.

Daya seized the opportunity and gave the mic a tug. It came off easily.

Before the guard could understand what was happening, Daya ran outside with the mic. The guard ran after him blowing his whistle loudly. He found a deserted area. He stopped there panting. It was ten minutes to 10. His stomach lurched. Shreya was probably inside the plane. It felt as if he had already lost her. Still it was worth trying. He spoke into the mic in a loud voice.

'Shreya! I hope tum mera awaj sun sakti ho. Tum soch bhi kaise sakti ho mujhe chod kar chale jaane ki. Baat karne ka mauka bhi nahi diya. I love you damn it! Tumhe wapas aana hi hoga mere paas. Main airport ke bahar intejar kar raha hu tumhara!'

He quickly made his way towards the exit avoiding people. The security guard was still looking for his stolen mic.

Shreya stood up with a shocked expression on her face. People around her were staring at her smiling. Her flight to Ahmedabad had been delayed. But how was it possible? Daya had come back to stop her from leaving. He had just confessed his love to her. Oh what was she waiting for? She quickly made her way towards exit. She scanned the crowd hoping to see him. Other people had got back to their own work now totally forgetting about the unusual announcement.

Shreya came out. She made her way towards the car parking. Suddenly two pairs of hands grabbed her and pulled her behind a bush. She looked at the person and a smile appeared on her lips.

'Daya!' she exclaimed.

He pulled her into his arms and his lips were on hers. She responded passionately. His hands tangled into her hair.

He left her lips. 'Kaise kar sakti ho tum ye? Mujhe chod kar kaise jaa sakti ho? Ek bar bata to diya hota!' he said.

'Par main hamesha ladti rehti thi aapke saath. Aur Aditi ke saath aap kitne khush the', she said.

'Shreya Aditi meri dost hai. Lekin tumhare bina main kaise jee sakta hu? Aur sach kahu to hamare ye ladai zhagde main bohot miss kar raha tha. Tum kitne pyar se manati ho mujhe. Bohot accha lagta hai. Aur kabhi kabhi main tumhe jealous feel karane ke liye Aditi ke jyada kareeb jata tha', he confessed smiling.

She kissed him fully on lips.

'I love you Daya and I am sorry. Par ab ye galati kabhi nahi karungi. Chaliye nikalte hai!' she said.

She started leaving but she felt his warm hand clutch her hand again. 'Ruko Shreya itni bhi kya jaldi hai', he said. He slowly started kissing the side of her neck. She closed her eyes in pleasure enjoying his gentle touch. He nibbled her ear lobe softly. He then came back again to her lips and delved in deeper. They broke finally after almost ten minutes breathing hard.

He gave her a warm smile and she turned away blushing. 'Daya bohot ho gaya chaliye ab', she said.

He agreed reluctantly. They approached his car and Daya saw the police Inspector who was following him and the security guard waiting for him. 'Yahi hai wo chor. Arrest karlo ise saab. Jhootha CID ka badge bhi hai iske paas', said the security guard.

The police Inspector however kept quiet.

'Sir aap! Kya aap kisi criminal ka picha kar rahe the?' he asked.

'Tum jaante ho ise? Ye sach me CID officer hai?' asked the security guard.

Everybody ignored him.

'Nahi. Galati meri hi thi. Maine traffic rules tode hai. Mujhe tum jo saza doge wo manjur hai', said Daya.

'Sir Kya aap bhi! Mera majak kar rahe hai. Chalta hu. Aur haan ye sach me CID ke senior officer hai ', he said to the security guard.

Daya handed him his mic.

'Sorry tumhe takleef dene ke liye. Par main chori nahi karna chahta tha. Mera kaam ho gaya', he said smiling.

The guard glanced sideways at Shreya. 'Namaste madam ji', he said.

'Namaste', said Shreya smiling.

'Saab galti ho gayi. Maaf kar dijiye. Par saab, jara ek minute side me aayenge?' he asked.

He and Daya went aside. Shreya stared supiciously at them. 'Saab aap sach bol rahe the. Wo pyar ka matter hai wo?' he asked.

'Haan! Majak thodi na kar raha hu. Aur aise kyu puch rahe ho koi problem hai kya?' asked Daya.

'Kuch nai sahab aisa sirf filmo me hi dekha tha aaj tak! Asal zindagi me pehli baar dekh raha hu!' he said.

'Aaj tak mera bhi vishvas nahi tha par ab mera opnion kuch badal gaya hai. Khair chodo chalta hu!' said Daya.

'Saab agli baar koi aisa aashiq aaya na to mana nahi karunga use andar jane ke liye!' he said.

Daya laughed and walked back to Shreya.

'Kya baatein ho rahi thi uske saath?' she asked.

'Kuch nahi use bata raha tha ki ab mujhe yakeen ho gaya hai ki hamari zindagi ki kahani bilkul ek story book ki tarah hoti hai -

'Happily Ever After!'

***** THE END *****


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